Puzzlejuice
- vocabulary
- solving puzzles
- strategy
A row of blocks turns into a row of letters.
Power-ups add a fun element.
Color-matched combinations turn into letters, too, allowing players to create words.
Kids use their fingers to trace the letters to make the words.
Pros
Many layers of addictive challenges drive players to want to master the game, and foreign language words present an interesting use for application.Cons
It's hard, and there are no hints or easy settings – just hard, extreme, and impossible (though that is part of the challenge that makes the game fun!).Bottom Line
Puzzlejuice offers kids a fun challenge that incorporates logic and language.None
The Tetris-like logic component is addictive to play, and kids may enjoy the change of pace and added challenge of creating words.
Though it incorporates some logic and wordplay, the skills are unlikely to transfer into real-world or academic usage. The app could be a gem to use in foreign-language classes since it can be played using Spanish, French, or Italian words.
The tutorial is very helpful, and the app tracks students' scores and connects to Game Center. The objectives are well-explained. Accessibility-wise, a color-blind option is available.
Though objectives don't directly align with Common Core standards, you could find opportunities for students to play Puzzlejuice during game or free-exploration times in English language arts classes. Or, as game options also include Spanish, French, and Italian languages, it could be an excellent addition to foreign language classes. The tone of the game is casual with a particular focus on the “wordsplosions.” It could be a fun treat after a successful day of learning in the classroom.
Read More Read LessPuzzlejuice is a word game app that starts out similar to Tetris. Different configurations of connected squares fall into place with guidance, and the objective is to complete rows and align colors. When colors align in the right combinations or when you complete an entire row, the colored squares turn into letters. While squares continue to fall into place and need guidance, players must also drag their finger across the letters horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to create words -– the longer the better. When players create a word, the blocks around it explode (the longer the word, the bigger the “wordsplosion”!) and the game continues, in Core Mode, until the blocks reach the top of the screen. Zen Mode is a quick 90-second game.
In Core Mode, students can choose their difficulty level: hard, euro extreme, or impossible. Each brings different objectives, such as spelling a five-letter word, spelling 10 words, and popping 10 color groups, in the hard mode; faster play and only five-letter and longer words destroying nearby blocks in euro mode; and even faster play and penalties for three-letter words in impossible mode. The tutorial is thorough and helpful -- and a little snarky -- and players can share scores on Game Center. Kids will be tickled by a quick game-exiting option called “rage quit,” which throws all the blocks up in the air and ends the game.
Read More Read LessGameplay is fast, and students must think quickly and manage multiple aspects of play at once; this can boost their strategy and puzzle-solving skills. The scoreboard tracks all words created as well as scores, giving you a place to do a quick check-in on progress. Multiple students can track their scores on one device. Players can also look up the English words from their list in the dictionary, which gives students the chance to learn a little vocabulary.
Read More Read LessKey Standards Supported
Language | |
| L.5: Conventions of Standard English | |
| L.5.1 | Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. |
| L.5.2 | Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. |
| Knowledge of Language | |
| L.5.3 | Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. |
| L.5.3a | Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style. |
| L.5.3b | Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems. |
| Vocabulary acquisition and Use | |
| L.5.4 | Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. |
| L.5.4a | Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. |
| L.5.4b | Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis). |
| L.5.4c | Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases. |
| L.5.5 | Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. |
| L.5.5a | Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context. |
| L.5.5b | Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. |
| L.5.5c | Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words. |
| L.5.6 | Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition). |
| L.6: Conventions of Standard English | |
| L.6.1 | Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. |
| L.6.2 | Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. |
| Knowledge of Language | |
| L.6.3 | Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. |
| Vocabulary Acquisition and Use | |
| L.6.4 | Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. |
| L.6.5 | Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. |
| L.6.6 | Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. |
| L.7: Conventions of Standard English | |
| L.7.1 | Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. |
| L.7.1a | Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences. |
| L.7.1b | Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas. |
| L.7.1c | Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.* |
| L.7.2 | Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. |
| L.7.2a | Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt). |
| L.7.2b | Spell correctly. |
| Knowledge of Language | |
| L.7.3 | Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. |
| L.7.3a | Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.* |
| Vocabulary Acquisition and Use | |
| L.7.4 | Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. |
| L.7.4a | Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. |
| L.7.4b | Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel). |
| L.7.4c | Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech. |
| L.7.4d | Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). |
| L.7.5 | Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. |
| L.7.5a | Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context. |
| L.7.5b | Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words. |
| L.7.5c | Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending). |
| L.7.6 | Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. |
| L.8: Conventions of Standard English | |
| L.8.1 | Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. |
| L.8.1a | Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences. |
| L.8.1b | Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. |
| L.8.1c | Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood. |
| L.8.1d | Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.* |
| L.8.2 | Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. |
| L.8.2a | Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. |
| L.8.2b | Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. |
| L.8.2c | Spell correctly. |
| Knowledge of Language | |
| L.8.3 | Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. |
| L.8.3a | Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact). |
| Vocabulary Acquisition and Use | |
| L.8.4 | Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. |
| L.8.4a | Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. |
| L.8.4b | Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede). |
| L.8.4c | Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech. |
| L.8.4d | Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). |
| L.8.5 | Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. |
| L.8.5a | Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context. |
| L.8.5b | Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words. |
| L.8.5c | Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute). |
| L.8.6 | Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. |
See how teachers are using Puzzlejuice
Teacher Reviews
- Addicting word game: An interesting spin on Tetris!4May 6, 2014
